The Wild Angels (1966)

The "Angels", a San Pedro motorcycle gang, parties in the Coachella Valley's Palm Springs Indian Canyons, California, and wreaks havoc with the local police.

Director:

Roger Corman

Writer:

Charles B. Griffith

Stars:

Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Fonda	...	Heavenly Blues
Nancy Sinatra	...	Mike 'Monkey'
Bruce Dern	...	Joe 'Loser' Kearns
Diane Ladd	...	Gaysh
Buck Taylor	...	Dear John
Norman Alden	...	Medic
Michael J. Pollard	...	Pigmy
Lou Procopio	...	Joint
Joan Shawlee	...	Momma Monahan
Marc Cavell	...	Frankenstein
Coby Denton	...	Bull Puckey
Frank Maxwell	...	Preacher
Gayle Hunnicutt	...	Suzie
Gina Grant
Art Baker	...	Thomas - Mortician

Storyline

Peter Fonda plays 'Heavenly Blues', the leader of the Angels, a motorcycle gang from San Pedro, California; Bruce Dern plays 'Loser', his best pal. When they both botch their attempt to retrieve Loser's stolen bike, Loser ends up in the hospital. When the Angels bust him out, he dies, and they bury him. Nancy Sinatra plays Mike, Blues' "old lady" and Diane Ladd plays Loser's wife (Dern's real-life wife at the time). The plot is basically a buildup to the last half-hour of the film in which Loser's funeral becomes another wild party.

---

Plot Keywords:

motorcycle | cult director | drive in classic | cult film | biker | 

---

Taglines:

Their credo is violence...Their God is hate...and they call themselves 'The Wild Angels'

---

Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug-related material

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Studios [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 July 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

All the Fallen Angels

Filming Locations:

Palm Springs, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$360,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$6,500,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was initially refused a UK cinema certificate in 1966 and eventually passed with cuts in 1972. Later video and DVD releases were fully uncut.

---

Goofs

During the final party, Loser's corpse moves his arm towards his chest.

---

Quotes

Mike: [cops are coming] Let's get out of here, Blues!
Heavenly Blues: There's nowhere to go.

---

Connections

Referenced in Wanderlust (2006)

---

Soundtracks

Theme from 'The Wild Angels'
Written by Mike Curb
Performed by Davie Allan and The Arrows

User Reviews

Landmark Biker Film!

Wild Angels is a landmark biker film, the first one of it's kind that dealt with such a brutal form of biker gang. This film started a cycle of biker films back in 1966, each one trying to outdo its predecessor in sheer volume of violence, sex and of course theater grosses, (Al Adamson doing it quite nicely I thought with Satan's Sadists).

When released initially it was banned in Denmark of all places, known for being one of the most liberated countries in the world. The Film was released in various running times, most edited to take out some of the more violent, racy bits.

Bikers in this film and many to follow would never again be looked as good guys until 'Easy Rider' many years later.